Mischa Zverev Is Fined After First-Round Retirement

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Mischa Zverev was the only man or woman to retire from a first-round singles match at the Australian Open. He said he had a fever the day of the match.CreditWilliam West/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

By Ben Rothenberg

Jan. 23, 2018

MELBOURNE, Australia — The new Grand Slam policy that shows generosity toward injured players also has an unforgiving side, as Mischa Zverev learned Tuesday at the Australian Open.

A new rule, instituted this year on a trial basis by the Grand Slam board, offers injured or ailing players half of their first-round prize money if they pull out before the match. The change was intended to curb first-round retirements because of pre-existing injuries or ailments. After four players accepted the offer at this tournament, it was hailed as a success.

A week later, however, the harsher side of the rule was implemented for the first time: Zverev, the only man or woman to retire from a first-round singles match, was fined roughly $36,000 after he quit midway through his second set against Hyeon Chung after 48 minutes, trailing by 2-6, 1-4.

The rule states, “Any player who competes in the First Round Main Draw and retires or performs below professional standards, may be subject to a fine up to First Round Prize Money.”

Bill Babcock, the director of the Grand Slam Board, said that investigations would precede any penalty for performances considered below those standards. He declined to comment on Zverev’s penalty because the player has appealed his punishment.

After meeting with the tournament director Craig Tiley in the players’ lounge on Tuesday, Zverev also declined to comment on the penalty while it is under appeal. He had stayed here because of Germany’s first-round Davis Cup matchup against Australia in Brisbane next week, but he was not named to the German team announced Tuesday.

The fine of 45,000 Australian dollars represents 75 percent of Zverev’s prize money. He would have earned 30,000 Australian dollars if he had withdrawn before the match.

The second-largest fine of this tournament was $10,000, to CoCo Vandeweghe for unsportsmanlike conduct after she screamed obscenities at her opponent, Timea Babos, during a first-round loss.

Speaking to members of the German news media after his match, Zverev said he woke up with a fever on the morning of his first-round match.

“I wasn’t feeling well, but I took four paracetamol and hoped I would feel better as the match went on,” said Zverev, who did not request any medical attention during the match. “But at one point it didn’t make sense anymore.”

There were additional incentives to playing for Zverev, who beat top-seeded Andy Murray here a year ago to reach the quarterfinals and had 360 ranking points to defend this year. With the loss of all but 10 of those points, his ranking will fall roughly 20 places, to around No. 55.

Had Zverev withdrawn before the match, he would have been replaced by Ernesto Escobedo, an American who lost in the final round of qualifying.

Zverev had lost his previous two matches against Chung, who has gone on to reach the quarterfinals here. Chung upset Zverev’s brother, fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev, and the six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.